Charles e



(No Model.)

05E. MILLER & P. M. HAAS.

' RAIL JOINT OR COUPLING. No. 512,733. Patented Jan. 16,1894.

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e l .U ITED STATES PATENT OE icE.

CHARLES E. MILLER AND PHILIP M. HAAS, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO; SAID HAAS ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO SAID MILLER.

RAIL JOlNjT on COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 0. 512,733, dated January 16, 1894. Application filedMarcli 23, 1893- Serial No.46'7,281. (No model.)

To all whom itmay concern.- I

Be it known that we, CHARLES E. MILLER and PHILIP M. HAAs, of Youngstown, in the county of Mahoning and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints or Couplings; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to improvements in rail-joints or couplings, the object being to provide a joint or coupling that will clamp the rail when the weight of the rolling-stock is upon the rail, and that will be loose when there is no weight or load upon the rail; wherein no bolts and nuts are required, and that is more durable and more efficient than the joints or couplings that have heretofore been devised.

With this object in view, our invention consists in certain features of construction and in combination of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims g I In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rail-joint or coupling embodying our invention, showing two contiguous or abutting rails Joined or coupled together. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on line 2-2, Fig. 1,looking in the direction of the arrow.

Referring to the drawings, A A represent the contiguous or' abutting end-portions of two rails, the same being supported by a pair of fish-plates B, a fish-plate beingprovided at each side of the rails and extending by the point at which the rails abut each other.

' Fish-plates B engage the under side of the head of the rails, as at b, the respective side of the web of the rails, as at b, and the top side of the base of the rails, as at W, and are supported by cheeks G of the rail-chairs O, the chair-cheeks engaging the top and edges of the base of the 'rail, as shown at 0 Fig. 2, the cheeks being undercut for the purpose. The chair-cheeks are beveled downwardly and inwardly on their inner side, as shown in Fig. 2, where they support the fish-plates, and thelatter are wedge-shaped in cross-section, as shown, to nicely fit between the web of the than at any other time.

rails and therespe'ctive beveled portionof the chair cheeks.

A'rail-chair is provided at each end of the fish-plates and the chairs are spiked to the railway-ties or sleepers, D, as at d. The base of therails does not rest upon the rail-chairs, but theche'eks of thelatter-are undercut sufficiently to provide a suitable clearance,' as at 0 between the under side of the base of the rails and the chairs.

The fish plates being made larger or thicker near the top or head of the railas hereinbefore indicated, it will be observed that the fish-plates are strongest near the head of the rails where the greatest strength is needed. It will also be observed that by means of the wedge-shape or downward and inward taper of the outer side of the fishplates and the corresponding bevel of the inner side of the chair-cheeks, when the weight of the rolling-stock is on the rails, the fishplates are pushed or crowded downwardly in the rail chairs, thereby clamping the rails while the weight is upon them more securely The clearance C between the base of the rails and rail-chairs must be sufficient to allow the rails and fishplates to push or crowd down into the chairs without coming into contact with the latter.

The chairs are preferably set into the ties, the latter being gained 01' recessed, as at D, for the purpose and so that the ties will all be on the same level. I A preferable construction is shown in Fig. 1,.wherein the gains or recesses in the ties for receiving the chairs are at one side of the ties, thereby permitting the rails to rest upon the remaining portions or opposite side of the. ties. By thus permitting the rails to rest upon a portion of the ties, it will be observed that a cushion is formed for the rails anda great deal of weight or load taken off the chairs. The chairs of course, should be constructed strong enough to withstand any pressure to which they may be subjected. The chairs are placed any desired distance apart. 7

The fish-plates, for obvious reasons, are preferably corrugated, as atB, on their inner side.

We would direct particular attention to the grip of the chair and fish-plates upon the rails.

The grip thus had holds the rails in a perfect line, and gives great support to the rails when carrying a load.

It will, of course, be understood that suitable devices for preventing endwise displacement of the fish-plates would preferably be employed. Any well known locking or se curing devices can be used for the purpose, and it is, therefore, not considered necessary to illustrate or describe the same in thisapplication.

What we claim is- 1. In a rail-joint or coupling, the combination with the rails, of a chair under each rail at or near the contiguous ends of the rails, said chairs at each side of the respective rails beingprovided with' a cheekbeveled downwardly and inwardly on its inner-side, a

wedge-shaped fish=plate interposed between -said-beveled-side of the chair-cheeks and the adjacent side otthe rails,-said fiskplates-I engagi-ng thehead, web and base ofthe rail; and

the chair-cheeks overlapping and "engaging theupper-surface ofthe rail-base andbeing sufficiently undercut to afiord clearance between the base of the railand ChillISySllb stantially asset forth.

2. In a rail-joint or coupling, the combination' with the contiguous on abuttingend portions of the rails and ties or sleepers upon which said portions of the rails rest, said ties or sleepers being recessed, as at D, chairs seated in the recesses and provided i at each side of the"respective""railwith a cheek beveleddownwardly and inwardly upon its inner side and undercut, substantially as indicated, a wedge-shaped fish-plate interposed and nicely fitting between the beveled sides of the chair-cheeks and the adjacent side of theirails, the fish-plates engaging'the head, web and base of therail and the chair-cheeks overlappingand engaging the upper surface of the rail base and being suificiently undercut to preventcontact ot: theiunderiside of -the base of :ther'raihwith thelchairsq-isubstantially asset forth.

' In testimony-iwhereofwevsign thisspecifica- A tion, in the presence of two witnessesgthisQOth day of February, 1893.

r CHARLES EQMILIJEB. 'PI-I-ILIP -HAAS. Witnesses:

EMERY F. LYNN, L. S. (JRUM. 

